the teachers
Ichigo and co once again stood before the assembled taicho, each of them wondering what was in store for them. Ichigo had recently returned from his meeting with Zangetsu, he wondered just how much his power had grown; the fight with his hollow had been intense even without bankai. His musing was interrupted by the sou-taicho beginning the meeting.
"The preparations are complete. It has been decided that Asano Keigo, Kojima Mizuiro and Arisawa Tatsuki will attend the shinigami academy. The powers of Yasutora Sado and Inoue Orihime will need to be studied, this task has been entrusted to Urahara Kisuke, and he has also been tasked with sifting through our knowledge of the Quincy to attempt to find a way for them to cleanse hollows."
No one in the hall missed Kurotsuchi's livid face; it was no secret he wanted to study the powers of the three. Had it been anyone other than Kurotsuchi, Ichigo wouldn't have gone to Yamamoto before the meeting and requested that it be his old mentor. After all, for all his dislike of the man he was undoubtedly a genius, but he couldn't stand by and allow the man Ishida loathed to the core of his being be the one to help them, it would either end in murder or would put Ishida into a position of forced gratitude that he wouldn't cope with. However, both he and the old taicho had agreed that the head of the beuru of research had to be placated somehow.
"However, Kurotsuchi taicho is to collaborate with him on this and have free access to all of Urahara's data."
The taicho of the twelfth division calmed down, his obsession with Urahara's work was well known throughout the Seireitei. The man would never find out about Yamamoto's hasty call the candy shop owner asking him to destroy all his notes and records that could be dangerous. Urahara hadn't been happy about that but had conceded the point; he knew better than most his replacements barbaric treatment of test subjects.
"In the case of Kurosaki Ichigo because his normal mentors are busy with this new task he has been assigned a group of trainers from amongst our ranks, if you would step forward."
Ichigo looked on with interest, wondering who had agreed to teach him. To his slight horror Byakuya was the first to step forward, followed shortly after by Unohana, Kumamura, Toshiro also to his surprise Rukia and Aizens former fuku-taicho Hinamori and if he was surprised before, his jaw dropped when Yamamoto stood up.
"Aww come on guys let me have a go too." Zaraki begged
"We want to teach him, Zaraki taicho, not fight him to the death on a daily basis." Unohana answered him sweetly
"Man, that ain't no fun this sucks." the large man grumbled
Ichigo sighed in relief feeling like he had just dodged a bullet. Rukia smiled at her friend's predicament. Who needs enemies with someone like Zaraki Kenpachi as a close comrade? Looking around the room at Ichigo's other instructors she wondered about her and the others reasons for volunteering to train him as she thought back to her own.
"It's true I'm not very good a teaching people." Rukia thought as she watched Ichigo leave, "Did I ever teach you anything more than the very basics?"
"Kuchiki-san, are you feeling alright?" Orihime said interrupting Rukia's dour thoughts.
"Hmm? I'm fine, just wondering where I fit in with all of you is all" Rukia answered.
"Are you sure? It looked worse than that to me" Rukia mentally kicked herself. She had forgotten just how observant the young woman could be.
"It had to do with Kurosaki-kun's comment about your bad teaching doesn't it"
"I just can't help wondering if I've been a burden to you all, first I need to be rescued from an execution. Then I'm almost useless in the war" she didn't mention the emotional baggage Ichigo had helped her overcome. Rukia knew that that was perhaps the area he had helped her the most in.
"But you killed an Espada Kuchiki-san, how was that useless?" the kind girl replied.
"Him? He almost killed me, I got lucky. I had to be saved by Nii-sama from a higher ranking one that he had almost no trouble with. Chad could probably have won against the 9th. I don't think he would have even slowed Ichigo down." Rukia said with a small, sad smile
"If you want to contribute more then why don't you try teaching him again?" Orihime laughed," I sure he wouldn't mind. Kurosaki-kun told me I wasn't useless when I said I was, and he really believes it. I don't think his view of you is any different" Orihime said softly, "Why don't we go talk to Yamamoto-dono and see if he will allow it. After all, he said Kurosaki-kun would need to be the best and that he has more to learn."
"Ummm, if I can interrupt." a small voice said. Rukia and Orihime turned to see the fuku-taicho of the 5th.
"How can we help Hinamori-san" Rukia asked.
"Umm I want to volunteer too. Shiro-chan says he's a good person a-a-a-and I want to meet the person who beat Aizen. I want to be able to see him as something other than a monster"
Both Rukia and Orihime could see the small woman was on the verge of tears. It was at that moment Rukia realised how deeply the treacherous taicho's conditioning of his fuku-taicho had been. Aizen had been a beacon of power to her even before his monstrous transformation. Rukia remembered hearing of the hopelessness that the shinigami felt as they watched Aizen overpower everyone, and Ichigo had destroyed that power with ease. Some people were bound to see Ichigo as just as great, if not more of a monster then the one he stopped.
"Is this your idea?" Rukia asked.
"No, it's Rangiku-san and Shiro-chan's. Hirako taicho has been helping me understand that the real Aizen wasn't the one I knew for so long but..." Hinamori trailed off
"ALRIGHT say no more lets go and ask!" Orihime said swinging back to her normal cheerful nature
To Rukia and Momo's amazement the head-captain had agreed to the proposal
"Kurosaki Ichigo these people are to instruct you in their respective areas of expertise. You will be learning Zanjutsu from Unohana taicho" Yamamoto got that far before being interrupted by a shocked Ichigo.
"Unohana-san? But she's head of the medical unit."
"Don't let that deceive you Kurosaki-san. I was the original Kenpachi. I know more about swordplay than anyone in the Gotei 13." Unohana answered with her trademark creepy smile.
"Shit, dodge one bullet cop another." Ichigo thought in distress
"Kuchiki taicho will instruct you in the use of advanced shunpo techniques. Before you ask, yes Soifon taicho is as good but her use of shunpo focuses on different areas. We wish to instruct you in the Gotei 13 style that focuses on movement and evasion, not the Onmitsukido's stealth based style."
"Umm, that could be a problem, I already learnt the basics from Yoruichi-san" Ichigo said sheepishly
"Fool, Yoruichi-sama not only mastered both styles but rewrote the books on them. She is called the goddess of flash for a reason." Soifon answered sharply
"Ouch, bit uptight about the honorific when it comes to Yoruichi-san isn't she?" the hollow piped up
"Get lost, before I come in there and kick your ass." Ichigo responded in aggravation
"Any time your ready king, any time…" the hollow replied before fading away
"You will be taught Hakuda by Kumamara-taicho for the same reasons. Though you have no experience with him he is well known for mixing hand to hand combat in with his Zanjutsu" Yamamoto continued
"I am also looking forward to getting to know you better Kurosaki-san." the large wolf man said
"Lastly you will be taught kido by Kuchiki-fukutaicho and Hinamori-fukutaicho"
"Why two people?" Ichigo queried
"Because there is currently no taicho for the kido corp. To match the knowledge and experience required to teach you they will have to work together"
"Didn't you ever replace Tessai-san? One hundred years is a long time to find a replacement, and we really could have used the help in the war." Ichigo asked
"We did replace him. After the vizard incident the kido corps was tied in with the fifth division in a similar manner to the Onmitsukido and the second." the old man answered
"Damn, well that explains a few things," Ichigo sighed "but hey, if that's every one why did you and Toshiro step forward?"
"Because we will not be teaching you the four areas of combat. Hitsugaya-taicho will be teaching how to mix them together and the duties and responsibilities of a taicho and fukutaicho."
"Wait what? Are you telling me the kid gets to fight him in a free for all every week but I can't?!" Kenpachi complained
Yamamoto continued, ignoring Zaraki's outburst.
"I will be teaching you the history and laws of soul society, the duties of the sou-taicho and the setup and capabilities of our forces. This will include the Onmitsukido and the kido corps"
The meeting was abruptly interrupted by the hall doors swinging open. A man in elaborate clothing walked in with an air of self-importance.
"Kurosaki Ichigo is summoned before the central chambers, he is to come at the earliest possible time." the man said before turning on his heel and leaving
"Well, he was rude" Ichigo quipped
"Maybe a crash course in how to deal with the central chambers should be added to my list" Yamamoto sighed.
A\N sorry about the late post and the short chapter. my beta readers pc was having some trouble and I felt this was the best place to cut off for the next chapter, which is already typed up and will be sent for betaing later today